Pliable fan



June 21, V

FL I ABLE FAN Filed April'l3, 1931 amounts; Era/As Z'a' F/ra Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES EVARISTO RIVA, OF BUENOS AIR/ES, ARGENTINA PLIABLE FAN Application filed April 13, 1931, Serial No. 529,824, and in Argentina March 14, 1931.

The presentinvention relates to certain improvements in pliable fans of the type having designs thereon, such as may be used for advertising purposes or the like. These fans may be made entirely of material such as cardboard, wood, sheet metal, celluloid or the like, or may be constructed by combining one of the aforementioned materials with another; such fans being characterized by the fact that when folded together by means of the handle, they will be firmly held in such folded position and may be readily kept in the pocket or the like without causing trouble or inconvenience.

On the other hand, when the fan is unfolded so as to be in its position of use, the two sheets which form the fan proper, and which may be turned about some given point, may be firmly held together by suitable means such as two notches provided in the upper parts and at the inner edges of said sheets, the fan being further strengthened while in this position by the elongated lower ends of the two sheets, which are extended 2 to the other side of the centre of motion into the interior of the handle, so that when the user clasps the handle and uses the device for fanning the desired stability of the fan, despite the fact that it consists of two sheets,

is completely ensured, since the projecting ends of said sheets cannot move laterally with respect to the handle.

The type of fan described above possesses a considerable advantage when compared with types as actually and generally used hitherto, which prior-art fans, if they are pliable, are by no means firmly held together in a rigid position, so that the person using them will more than likely encounter difliculty in fanning. Further, the size of the fans generally is larger than that of the ordinary pocket and the user is forced to carry them by hand, which is very uncomfortable.

The fans in accordance with the present invention may be painted, 'lithographed, printed, etc., in any color; they may also bear inscriptions, designs, drawings, stamps,

fretwork, etc., and their total size may be increased or diminished according to the re quirements of practice.

In order to better explain the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. I is a'view of the unfolded fan, particularly showing the notches by means of which the two sheets forming the fan proper are firmly held together.

Fig. II is a view of the fan folded together and showing the lower sheet in dotted lines.

Fig. III is a sectional'view of the unfolded fan of the Fig. I. 7

Referring to the aforementioned drawing, the two sheets forming the fan proper are indicated at 1 and 2, as having an outline similar to that of a pear; Sheets 1 and 2 at the inner edges of the upper parts thereof are provided with cooperating notches 3, in which when the fan is unfolded are introduced or indented into complemental relationship with each other as clearly shown in Fig. I, so that said edges appear to be interlaced, the sheet 1 entering into the notch 3 of sheet 2 and sheet 2 into the notch 3 of sheet 1. v

The lower parts 4 and 5 of the two sheets 1 and 2, which are considerably smaller than the upper parts thereof, and which themselves extend to the other side of the centre of motion 6, when unfolding the fan, are found in the interior of the handle 7; so that when using the fan and clasping the handle with the hand, the extensions 4 and 5 cannot move laterally with respect to said handle and thus serve to maintain the rigidity of the fan, thus assisting in firmly holding the two sheets together in their position with the notches 3 engaged.

The handle 7 is formed in the shape of a sugar-tong, or in other words is constructed either of a small strip doubled at the lower end 8, or of small strips firmly connected at the mentioned point 8, to provide between said strip or between said strips an intermediate space for the reception of the lower extensions 4 and 5 of the sheets 1 and 2.

In order to connect the two sheets 1 and 2 with the handle 7, any desired type of clasp is provided at 6, at which point all of the said parts may be rotated for the purpose of folding or unfolding the fan.

When folding the fan in order to keep it in the pocket or the like, the sheets 1 and 2 are disconnected at 3 and are moved so as to cover each other. In order to keep them in said position, the handle 7 is turned upwardly around the centre of motion 6, so that its end 8 enters into one of the grooves 9 provided in the outer edges of the sheets 1 and 2, thus also securing folded position of the fan.

Having thus fully described the nature of my said invention and the manner of carrying it into practice, What I claim as my exclusive property is:

A pliable fan formed of cardboard, wood, sheet metal, celluloid, and the like, comprising a handle formed of two spaced, substantially parallel strips joined by a head portion, a plurality of pear-shapedsheets having elongated lower ends pivoted to said handle, and having grooves at their outer edges, the fan in its folded position having the sheets rotated about the said handle :into overlapping relation with respect to each other, and so that the head portion of the handle engages in one of the said-grooves to ensure that the fan is folded into its smallest possible a compass.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EVARISTO RIVA. 

